<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>it's gonna be okay by imadetheline</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899386">it's gonna be okay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline'>imadetheline</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug, Protective Darth Vader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:36:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vader’s turned towards him now, not five feet away. Luke takes another shuddering breath, his vision not as clear as he’d like. “Don’t,” he manages, his fingers clutching so hard at the rock that he feels blood drip down his hand from where the rough edges scrape against his skin. He eyes his own lightsaber swinging on Vader’s belt.</p><p>The towering figure steps forward, the red of his saber falling over Luke, “Come with me, son.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Skywalker &amp; Darth Vader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Luke and Vader Bonding</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. i'm fading fast, not gonna last</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>titles from ok by robin schulz</p><p>just wanted to write some hurt Luke and protective Vader who acts a little more like a father, so he may be a bit out of ooc but hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Blast! Artoo, see if you can get back to the ship and call for help!” Luke calls out over the rubble. He hears a distant set of whistles and sighs, laying back against the ground. At least all hope isn’t lost.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rock beneath him is digging into his back, and the air is filled with dust and smoke from the bomb that had brought down the old temple. It had very successfully managed to trap his legs beneath half of it. He’d tried to shift it at first, but that had only succeeded in crushing his right leg. He’s reasonably sure it’s broken. He can feel the stickiness of blood coating his pant leg, and pain shoots through him every time he shifts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The darkening sky doesn’t bode well either. Luke’s not quite sure how cold it gets on this planet after dark. He hadn’t been planning on being here that long, but he’s already starting to shiver through his thin flight uniform. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can’t hear R2 anymore. There’s no sound except his ragged breathing and the rushing winds succeeding in blowing dust and sand into his lungs. He cursed his luck for the tenth time, along with the fact he hadn’t been paying enough attention to sense that the temple was rigged with traps, including a still fully functioning bomb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He catches sight of his lightsaber, newly built after he lost his father’s on Could City, lying amongst the rubble and pulls it to him with little trouble, igniting it as the last rays of light fade from the sky. It casts its green glow over the mounds of rock. Luke hisses as he brings his head up to glance around. It quickly falls back to the ground, and he deactivates his saber, not wanting to attract the attention of any wild animals or worse. He stays staring up at the darkness, the stars not visible through the heavy clouds, and waits.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cold seeps into his bones, and he can’t feel his leg any longer. He knows that’s not a good sign, but there’s nothing he can do about it without risking his other, hopefully not too injured, leg. He groans, blinking, trying to stay awake. It’s getting harder, a dark haziness floating at the edges of his vision. It’s probably blood loss his brain supplies helpfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He reaches for the Force, pulling energy from it and staring resolutely into the darkness as if it might open its eyes and stare back. But the Force is cold too. He shivers again, the chill spreading down his spine. Where is Artoo? His eyes close for a moment, the coldness crashing over him in a wave. He just wants to sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes open suddenly with an almost audible snap as he realizes the familiarity of that cold. Vader. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can’t be here. His right-hand twitches painfully at the reminder of their last encounter. But he is here, his brain replies. He wants to yell at it to shut up, but everything’s hazy and painful, and he’s not sure he’s breathing. It doesn’t feel like it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He reaches for his lightsaber, allowing it’s comforting weight to ground him. The coldness is growing, coming closer. His hand hovers over the saber’s ignition, but he doesn’t want to press it yet. There’s a chance, however small, that Vader won’t be able to find him in all the wreckage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as he thinks it, a red lightsaber ignites a foot away from his face. He flinches, and an involuntary groan leaves his mouth before he can stop it as his broken leg is jostled, sending fiery pain through him. A wave of cold suddenly sweeps through him again, and the pain eases. His breath comes in gasps as he tries to recover, his eyes struggling to remain open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finally focus, and Vader is somehow even closer. Luke ignites his lightsaber in a panicked attempt to keep his fa- Vader away from him and swings it wildly, his hand still twitching with phantom pain. His saber is grabbed from him, the Force sending it flying straight into Vader’s outstretched hand. Panic builds in Luke’s chest, despite the calming waves of cold that he still can’t figure out. “Stay… Stay back,” he gasps, trying to push himself farther away from the towering figure awash in red light and darker than the sky behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vader, of course, does no such thing and takes another step forward, his arm again reaching out. Images of their last duel, Vader’s arm outstretched, horrible revelations, falling, flash through Luke’s mind, and he does the only thing he can think of. He reaches out with the Force towards the rubble once again and pulls at the rock on his leg, pain shoots through him, burning, and his vision goes white in a strangled gasp. He stretches, begging for it to move, but his grip on the Force weakens and drifts away. He lets go but strangely doesn’t feel the rock crash back onto his leg as cold and dark finally claim him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wakes violently, jolting up, immediately regretting it as pain once again shoots through his body. For a moment, he thinks maybe he’s died, darkness still surrounding him, but then Vader’s mask catches the red light of his saber, and Luke knows it’s worse than that. His father- no, Vader, will take him to the emperor, and he’s going to be tortured until he turns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glances around, ignoring the pain in his leg. He can still feel the hard ground beneath him, so he hasn’t been out very long, maybe only a minute. His injured leg is uncovered from the rock, and he looks up at Vader, currently lifting another large rock off his other leg. Good, that means he’s distracted, and as soon as he’s done, Luke can run, find Artoo and get off this blasted planet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a tense moment where all he can hear is the hiss of Vader’s respirator and the crumbling rock moving off his leg, and then he’s free. He pushes himself backward, scrambling as best he can. He hears the boulder hit the ground as Vader releases it with a crash. There’s not enough time, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try. He grabs for another large piece of the temple, hauling himself to his feet, and tests his weight on his injured leg. The slightest amount of pressure almost makes him lose his grip on the support.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vader’s turned towards him now, not five feet away. Luke takes another shuddering breath, his vision not as clear as he’d like. “Don’t,” he manages, his fingers clutching so hard at the rock that he feels blood drip down his hand from where the rough edges scrape against his skin. He eyes his own lightsaber swinging on Vader’s belt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The towering figure steps forward, the red of his saber falling over Luke, “Come with me, son.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke’s vision flashes as he shifts, trying to back away from the man, from the truth. He can’t see a way out of this, but like hell he’ll make it easy for Vader. “Never,” he hisses and knows it’s a lie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vader lifts his lightsaber, and Luke closes his eyes, bracing for the searing pain, but nothing comes. He hesitantly opens one eye and sees Vader has raised it to act as a light and has moved even closer. Luke could reach out and touch his chest plate if he wanted to. He breathes in sharply, prepares for Vader to knock him unconscious, and take him to the emperor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s hard to see Vader move in the dark, but then he feels something brush his cheek. He flinches harshly when he realizes it’s his- Vader’s gloved hand. He’s not allowed to move far, Vader’s iron grip catching his chin, “You’re injured,” comes the rasp from the vocoder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke finally succeeds in wrenching his face away from the menace and scoffs, trying to adjust his numbing fingers on the boulder supporting him. “Obviously. All the better for you to take back to your master, right?” he sneers, staring up at the black form of Vader’s mask, almost indiscernible against the night, hissing as he jostles his broken leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need medical attention, my son.” Vader’s voice echoes around them, somehow softer than before. Even as he speaks, cold once again washes over Luke, easing some of the pain in his leg from a stabbing fire to pulsing embers. He breathes in heavily and tries to calculate what’s helping him with the pain and if it will help enough for him to run. He tries his weight again on the leg, and immediately the pain engulfs him once again, white grasping for him from the sides of his vision as he pitches forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he finally blinks the whiteness back, Vader’s mask is hovering inches away from him. He feels the hard ground beneath him and tries to scramble away, but it seems his strength has finally abandoned him. There’s also a pulsing cold in his mind telling him to sleep. This cold doesn’t make him shiver. It’s almost comforting. His eyes flutter shut, the pain drifting away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he doesn’t want to sleep, can’t sleep, no matter how much he may want to. He pushes his eyes open, trying to bring the mask into focus above him, trying to will it away. “Sleep, my son. I mean you no harm.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The words seem to reverberate through his mind as if they weren’t quite spoken aloud. His eyes start drifting shut again, that comforting cold wrapping around his senses like a blanket. “But… what about… the emperor,” Luke manages, finally letting his eyes close, the darkness beckoning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s an echo in his head, “Do not worry, my son. I will deal with him.” It feels comforting and true, and like safety Luke hasn’t known in years. He doesn’t remember anything after that.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>may or may not write a follow up to this so lmk what you think :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. i really need your love right now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He hears the door slide open, and the cold sweeps into the room, immediately reaching for him in… worry? He doesn’t know why it’s worried, but he reaches back to reassure it anyway. When he brushes against it, the cold freezes. The heavy footsteps that had accompanied it also cease. Maybe he shouldn’t have reached out, flashes through his mind.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry this took so long to update. i was working on my other fic, the regret of a meaningless forever, which if you like this one you'll probably enjoy that (shameless self-plug sorry lol)</p>
<p>but here's a short little chapter to finish this. hope you guys like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He wakes slowly. The Force whispers of safety, and there’s a comforting haze. He feels no need to rush, a strange sense of contentment settled in his bones. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He blinks, trying to bring his surroundings into focus. The walls are dark and unfamiliar, but there’s no sense of impending danger. His limbs feel numb, and he can’t place why. It doesn’t worry him, though. He seems to be in a medbay, but it seems altogether too polished, too new for a normal alliance medbay.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shivers minutely at the cold, but then he realizes it isn’t his body or the air that’s cold. No, it’s a strange presence in the back of his head. And it’s getting closer. He distantly remembers that maybe it should scare him, that cold, but he’s too tired and comfortable to care. His eyes flicker closed again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hears the door slide open, and the cold sweeps into the room, immediately reaching for him in… worry? He doesn’t know why it’s worried, but he reaches back to reassure it anyway. When he brushes against it, the cold freezes. The heavy footsteps that had accompanied it also cease. Maybe he shouldn’t have reached out, flashes through his mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The cold seems to jolt back to life as soon as he thinks that. It swirls around him, and Luke hears a respirator cycling steadily, the only sound in the room. That’s familiar, too familiar, but the darkness is already creeping back in behind his closed eyelids, dragging him back down into unconsciousness. He reaches again for that swirling cold that somehow means safety. It wraps around him, and then there’s something -- a leather-covered hand -- on his cheek, and it’s warm, the exact opposite of the cold whispering through the Force. He feels it gently sweep the hair off his forehead, and he turns towards the soft touch, content to let sleep take him once again in the soothing presence.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>&lt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The boy had been foolish, reckless in his pursuit of learning more about that misguided religion. But the boy’s naivete had allowed Vader to find him, so he would excuse it. But the boy will have to learn if he’s going to survive, especially with the emperor still intent on finding him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Luke’s been in bacta on the Executor for almost a full rotation under the utmost secrecy. Only a single medic, Admiral Piett, and Vader himself know the boy is here. His master cannot discover him, not until he’s been trained enough to destroy the man.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Officers and troopers carefully scramble out of his path, but he barely realizes they’re there as he stalks down the stark grey hallways towards the private medbay where Luke has just been taken out of bacta. A part of him has been screaming for the past day that he shouldn’t have left the boy alone at all, but he’d pushed it down and continued to work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But now he’s justified in visiting his son. Something in him lightens at the thought. He reaches out for the boy and discovers he’s awake, if barely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The medbay door slides open with a wave of his hand, and his gaze, although distorted by the mask, swiftly lands on the boy lying on one of the cots. He doesn’t even flinch, doesn’t yell, or rage as Vader had expected. Is the boy sick or still injured? His anger flares for a moment but quickly morphs into fear as he walks into the room, stretching towards Luke’s Force presence. His son's bright signature isn’t as bright as it had been previously, but that’s to be expected; he’s still recovering. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then the light is reaching back to his searching tendril and brushing against his presence in a wordless whisper of contentment. Vader’s frozen halfway across the medbay. His son had reached out to reassure him. He’s surely unaware of who Vader is while he’s in this state, but still, Vader basks in his son’s brightness and temporary acceptance of their bond. He’d never expected to experience anything but hate and disdain from the son he’d mutilated and harmed and never known, even if Luke joined him. And he knows that’s still all he deserves, but to feel the warmth of his son directed at him, even for a moment, is more than he’d ever hoped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He feels a question of doubt flicker across Luke’s mind, and his body jolts back into motion, carrying him across the room. He will not allow his son to think he shouldn’t have reached for his father. In a moment, he is at the boy’s side, his hand hovering halfway to the boy’s face, uncertain if he’s allowed to touch the only thing left he has not completely destroyed.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Luke’s eyes, though they’re closed now, his chin: he looks so similar to… He lets that thought drift away. But the nose is certainly hers. Suddenly, the boy is once again searching for him in the Force, this time unprompted. The Force is singing in Vader’s veins with an emotion he’s long forgotten the name for. He reaches back and then finally allows his hand to brush across the boy’s cheek. He curses his prosthetics, that he cannot truly touch his son, but it is enough. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He pushes the fringe off the boy’s forehead, and Luke’s head tilts into his hand before Vader feels his presence slip back into sleep. That they are together, without lightsabers ignited between them, without anger and harsh words lingering in the air, that he is allowed to touch his son is more than he ever imagined possible. And he knows there will be anger and questions and plans later. But looking down at his son, he knows he would tear apart, or mend, the galaxy to keep Luke by his side.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! Seriously I love reading them so please leave me one cause they motivate me to write more! if you guys have ideas for other stories send me an ask on tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline">here</a> or just yell about stuff with me. Info about me and all my other tumblrs are <a href="https://infoabtmaddie.carrd.co/#">here</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>